You are a leader. You are already convinced that there is need for a radical rethink of our economy.
You know it is no longer business as usual and you have already begun the journey of taking action either through planning your escape from corporate/city-life and shifting your lifestyle or starting a business or NGO or collective or an initiative that is all about a healthier planet and more humane world.
But at whatever stage you are at, you feel stuck. You need more ability to take action; more resources or the ability to create a greater impact.
The Global Challenges Retreat 2019 can help you:
- Develop the confidence and competence to show up more powerfully and make your voice heard
- Get more stakeholders and partners on board
- Get the finance you need to take your project/business to another level
- Get the support and advice of mentors and experts who have walked your road before.
Your success on this stage of your journey is not only crucial to you but the entire planet … are you ready to join the Next-Generation of Sustainability Leaders?
Programme Scope
The Global Challenges Retreat is a three (3) day annual transformative leadership experience for thirty (30) business and social impact leaders from around the world who want to lead the transition to a more sustainable future. Going beyond sustainability and ethical business models, the GCR engages participants in a holistic model for social change and corporate development which integrates some of the latest developments in the fields of neuroscience (in particular as it relates to building empathy capabilities and inclusion), innovation, impact measurement and public policy. This enables participants to develop the leadership skills to build resilience and stimulate innovation, foster real collaboration and align diverse stakeholder interests to create ecosystemic change and societal impact.
The objective of GCR is to catalyse, build capacity and enable empathic leadership and entrepreneurship for ecosystem change.
Previous GCR themes were related to Global Governance and Partnerships for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year the GCR 2019 theme builds on these with circular thinking and Circular Economy as a primary mechanism for individual, corporate and collective action on Agenda 2030.
With rapid technological change spurring new patterns of patterns of production and consumption, there is now a call for coordinated action to ensure the well-being of society, to understand the evolving role of governments and to rethink how the global economy will work in the 21st century. The Circular Economy provides a coherent framework to guide coordinated action by multiple stakeholders working to build a more sustainable future.
Programme Benefits
In an intense rewilding experience in the beautiful and sacred estate of Embercombe in the UK you will discover how to:
- Build empathy and improve self-awareness to become a more effective leader and to improve capacity to create systemic impact
- Deepen connection with nature and re-imagine new ways of being and aligning personal and business goals with natural living systems
- Be at the forefront of Circular Thinking for Ecosystem Change, learning how to conceptualize, reframe and design new business models for increased profit and purpose.
- Move beyond traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to Corporate Social Opportunity (CSO) integrating circular innovation and new partnership models
- Initiate local government partnerships and align diverse stakeholders for SDG progress
- Become a part of a global community of changemakers working to create real ecosystemic change and measurable progress on Agenda 2030.
Who it’s for?
GCR brings together business and social impact leaders from a diverse range of disciplines to take part in an intensive rewilding and practical learning experience that builds empathy, develops innovation capabilities and accelerates momentum for ecosystem change through partnerships.
GCR 2019 is right for you if:
- You have achieved the career pinnacles you’ve worked hard for in the big metropolises of the world and now you want to leverage that success to return to a more sustainable way of living or you own or you are a key decision-maker in a business, social enterprise or not for profit organisation
- You understand that a radical shift in mindset supported by strategic action is required in our economy and in the way we produce and consume goods in order to create a sustainable future,
- You know or have heard about the circular economy model, or you may already even be considering a circular economy initiative and you want to learn more about how you can gain early competitive advantage and become a leader in circular change in your sector
- You want to create multi-stakeholder (public, private and third sector) partnerships to progress or scale your SDG initiative
- You want to build your theory of change in such a way that you can attract new SDG impact finance
- And you want to do all this while stretching yourself mentally, emotionally and physically within a diverse community
How Does The Global Challenges Retreat Work?
Over three days you are taken through a transformational leadership experience deepening your understanding of:
Your internal wiring and your ability to lead innovative teams
The interconnectedness of all global and local challenges and the problem-space in which your product, service or solution operates
The need for empathy-based systemic solutions and your systems thinking capabilities
Why Empathy?
Building on the work of Fritjof Capra and Otto Scharmer, we believe that at the root of ALL global challenges lies one of more the three Great Divides:
- the Psychic Divide (the disconnection between our sub–conscious and the conscious selves)
- the Social Divide (the disconnection between ourselves and others)
- the Ecological or Systemic Divide (the disconnection between all life on
- the planet including the living organism of the planet itself)
Our Model is based on a neuroscientific understanding of empathy which we define as ‘truth in connection with the other’ and which embraces four empathic capabilities, the : Emotional | Cognitive | Social | Systemic.
Our three day process takes you through the Empathic Triad of Self, Social and System Empathy to build your capability for the next-generation of social change.
Why the Circular Model?
Circular economy embraces a return to the natural order of living systems and transforming man-made systems of production and consumption into alignment with natural law and living systems.
The Linear Economic Model ‘take-make-use-dispose’ has developed without a systemic understanding of the interconnectedness and the interdependence of all life.
While contemporary Circular Economy theory focuses primarily on systems of supply and demand, production and disposal incorporating primarily the biosphere and the techno-sphere, our approach to circularity embraces the Circular Humansphere pioneered by Alexandre Lemille. The Circular Humansphere depicts an advanced approach of the current Circular Economy model where Humans are considered as our third stock of resources and flows. This Circular Economy 2.0 involves conceptualizing Poverty as Waste in the sense that they are both human invented. The measurement of the well-being in a systemic model thus becomes the “Optimization of Circular Value”
At the Global Challenges Retreat we engage the human element first – as the first unit of transformation and we view strengthened empathic capabilities of human actors at self, social and systemic levels as the core of Circular Economy 2.0 to inform the next-generation of transofrmational leaders.
Our retreat gives preference to entrepreneurs desirous of leading circular innovations and over the 3 days you’ll learn 3 pillar framework laid out below:
Neuroscience of Applied Empathy
Using the U-Solve C.U.R.E™ Empathic Method, you will learn the latest neuroscience-based frameworks for empathic design and innovation. You will learn to deeply understand the problems you are trying to solve, the people your solution aims to serve and to tap into the emotional drivers of key decision-makers.
It is scientifically proven that people make their decisions emotionally and then justify them logically; thus, we enable you to persuade others to take action by building your Emotional, Cognitive, Social and Systemic empathic capabilities.
Circular Thinking for System Change
As we move from the age of environmental/social change being primarily driven by centralized – bureaucratic Government bodies with sporadic political will, donation-dependent third sector actors and uninspired Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Agendas, we embrace an era where positive human, social and environmental change drives policy, innovation and business growth as an inherent parameter for all action.
The interconnectedness of global challenges and the interdependence of all actors requires new ways of being and doing which are holistic in approach and rigorous about impact. Circular thinking (not to be confused with circular reasoning) enables you to understand the connections in a complex system, analyse impacts, develop personal and organizational agility and harness diversity for creativity and resilience.
Next-Generation Sustainability Leadership
The mindset shift to move beyond traditional theory of corporate social obligations to embracing social challenges as business opportunities for growth and impact, defines the next-generation of sustainability leadership. Next-Generation Sustainability leaders also recognize their interconnectedness and interdependence within a complex system and develop the capabilities to initiate, design, negotiate and lead multi-stakeholder partnerships for social progress. Aligning with the Global Goals Agenda the Global Challenges Retreat framework introduces the Public Private Purpose Partnership (4P) Model
which enables participants with a unique strategy for attracting impact finance to scale initiatives.
TESTIMONIALS
“The U-Solve team – they are in such a perfect “balance”! It is admirable how their skills and personal qualities complement each other so well! The level of commitment, their strength, courageousness, empathy, knowledge and view about the world, their resilience, kind and good hearts, energy. Remarkable and inspiring team and people – so like-minded, and at the same time, so unique. I truly appreciate every experience, interaction – simply invaluable, and from each, I’ve learned so much, and each stood out in its own unique way… the world needs more people, leaders like you!”
Social Impact Innovator
“The U-Solve team are all wonderful and kind. They used heart based communication. What was best about the programme was activating us in our core psyche to see what can and should be achieved. There is a high level of professionalism and people I really felt had done ‘the inner work’ alongside their outer journey.”
Medical Doctor, Academic, Activist
“U-Solve programmes are unique because of the respect, empathy, dynamism and genuine authenticity displayed by the experts. Their individualism and knowledge and respect for each other and in turn this passed onto to participants. I felt in a bubble of care and nurture and experienced in depth learning that has built my confidence to create social change.”
Educator
“The U-Solve programme is unique because of the focus on entrepreneurial motivation (anger) and empathy. Also, it’s holistic approach, acknowledging and creating awareness around the different levels of consciousness. It’s a deeply personal approach to entrepreneurial development. Cause and leader get equal attention.”
Founder SilverMango
“There’s a stunning amount of expertise and passion on offer. It’s truly unique how that is effortlessly combined with a great deal of empathy and focus on the issues facing the individuals on the course. It feels like a place to belong for those who want to make the world a healthier and happier place while keeping a foot in the real world of today. From the beginning and throughout, I was humbled to feel that I was appreciated, understood and supported for who I am and what I’m doing. It helped give me the belief I didn’t realise I lacked that I can find a way to attract the large sums needed to make the big impact I seek without becoming an selfish, money-grabbing monster! ;-)”
Founder Ambigo
“Margaret has a brilliant mind and has designed several very empowering programs. She also operates from an intuitive place, which allows her to grasp what may be hidden to the individual because of their personal preferences or biases. This was an excellent experience for me and came at an important time in my life. Very grateful.”
Strategic Creativity Coach, Author, Entrepreneur, and Founder of Art & Soul Productions LLC.
“Working with Margaret has allowed me turn dreams and what seemed like a far off ideas into reality. The courses are high level with content that integrates the latest knowledge in neuroscience and evidence based, best practices. Margaret and the U-solve team have a wholistic approach in their curriculum and are able to take concepts that seem familiar and add depth and insight, that when applied are truly transformational in all areas of your life. In addition, the support from the U-Solve team is second to none. If you are someone who is willing to do the work, because it is work, the reward on the other side will be worth it in ways far beyond your initial expectations.”
Doctoral Research Fellow, Health Education, Columbia University, NY, Founder of the Motivated Mind, and Winning in Sexual Health (WISH)